Stamp-vending machine.



' I. P. .KNNEY.

STAMP VENDING MACHINE.,

APPLIOATION FILED sEPT. '1. 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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J. P. KINNEY.

STAMP VENDING MACHINE. .A PPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1910.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mgxmmmmmmmm@ u UNITED sfTATEs PATENT oFFioE.

JOHN4 FRANKLIN KINNEY, 0F SHELBY, NEBRASKA.

i STAMP-VENDING MACHINE.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN FRANKLIN .-KINNEY, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at Shelby, in the county of Polk and State of Nebraska, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stamp Vending Machines, of which the following is aspeciication.

This invention relates to stamp vending machines and particularly to an, actuating mechanism controlled by the coin and operable to deliver to the purchaser a single stamp, the object of theinvention being to provide novel and improved mechanism of this character adapted for posit-ive operation on deposit of a coin andembodying means operated simultaneously on discharge of the stamp for engaging the stamp strip to prevent the fraudulent removal of the stamp from the machine. u

In the drawings, forming a portion of this specification and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several viewsz-Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through my improvedr stamp vend-` ing machine, parts being broken away.` Fig. 2 is a detail section through a portion of thev machine showing the feed rolls and the reel, a portion of the reel being broken away to clearly disclose the invention. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the controlling lever in a position to discharge a single stamp. Fig. 4 is a detail transverse section through the machine taken on a line with' the feed shaft. Fig. 5 is a detail longitudinal section through a portion of the machine showing the pin wheel and the connections between thewheel and the gripping member. Fig. 6 is a rear view ofthe gripping member. Fig. 7 is a detail section through the reel.

I contemplate providing a casing such asthe one shown at l in the drawings. This casing is provided witha front wall 2 which is hinged to the top wall, as at 3. A door 4/closes the rear of the machine, and as illustrated, it is provided with a suitable` hasp 5 to receive the staple or keeper 6l on the ixed bottom portion 7 of the casing.

This staple is designed to receive a lock 8 or any other suitable well known' and equ1valent retaining device. The receptacle 1s formed to provide a coin compartment 9 in Specification of lletters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9,1912.

Application med september 7, 1910. serial No. 581,698.

through which the coin will be conveyed tov V16 which is disposed immediately between ythe arms 14. A bearing 17 isfsupp'orted by the partition 11, and. as illustrated, said bearing is designed for the reception of a loose sleeve 18 on the shaft 15. The sleeve 18 supports a sector-like'element 19 which -is located immediately opposite 'an identically formed element 20 which is mounted to revolve 'on the shaft 15. The elements 19 and 20 are suitably connect-ed with each other and as illustrated, each element isk formed at its upper end to provide a foro wardly extending short arm 21. .The arms 21 are connected with each other by a pin 22. A leaf spring 23 is supported by the bearing.17, and as illustrated, it is located immediately in the path of movement of the rock arm 24. A r four-tooth ratchet wheel 25 is fixed to theshaft 15 and'it is located immediately 'between the elements 19 and 20. These elements 19 and 20 are provided with arms 26 which are connected with each other by` a pin 27 on which a spring controlled pawl 28 is pivotally mounted and adapted for engagement with the ratchet wheel in a manner to be hereinafter described. The sleeve 18 is provided with an actuating lever 29 which extends upwardly through a longitudinal slot 30 in the top of the casing 1. The pin 22 on the elements 19 and 20 is extended .bei yond the element '19 as at 30, solas to be engaged normally in the notch 31 inthe' keeper end of the rock lever 24. The rock lever 24 is mounted on the 'fulcrum ,bracket 32 which extends upwardly from the partition 11. An adjustable counterbalancing weight-'33 is mounted to slide longitudinally on the keeper end of the rock lever 24 andit is designed to normally hold. the lever Ain a horizontal position. The rock' lever. 24'

other arm of the bracket and the disk 38' so as to hold said disk yieldingly engaged against one side of the stamp roll 43.,

guide roller 44 is mounted immediately above the bracket 35 and it is located immediately in a'dvance of the reel 36 so that the stamps may be passed thereover and guided thereby as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings. The bracket 35 is provided with a pivoted follower 45 whose end 46 is designed to bear against the stamp roll so as to prevent the wound portions of the roll from casual separat-ion.

A laying roll 47 is revolubly mounted in bracket arms 48 which are pivot-ally sup ported'on the base member 14. The shaft 49 of the laying roll is provided at one end with an actuating .lever 50. This lever is pivoted as shownat- 51, to the base memberk and is designed to be operated manually to lift the laying roll out of contact with the feed roll 16. A11 extensile spring 52 is operatively connected with the base member 13 and with the lever 50 so as to exert its tension against the latter Ito hold the laying roll normally yieldingly against the stamps, as shown'in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

A locking or gripping mechanism 53 is located in advance of the feed mechanism; This mechanism comprises a bracket 54 on which is mounted a fixed horizontally disposed jaw 55 which is located immediately beneath thek movable jaw 56. A stem 57 is slidable in superimposed bearings 58 on they bracket 54, and as shown in Fig. 6 o f the drawings, this stem is secured to the movable jaw 56. A spring 59 is interposed be tween .the movable jaw and the lowermost bearing 58 and it exerts its tension against the movable jaw to hold it normally against the stamps. A rock shaft 60 is supported by the bracket 54 and at one end, said shaft is provided with an actuating element 61 on which is formed a cam surface 62. At one end the surface 62 is formed to provide a concavity 63 in which the roller 64 on the stem 57 is normally seated. The forward end of the jaws 55 `and 56 extend through a feed or discharge passage 65 in the front wall of the casing.

The shaft 15 has fixed thereto at one end a pin wheel 66 on which pins 67 are arranged at suitable spaced intervals from each other. The shaft 60 is provided with a crank arm 68 which is operatively connected with a similar arm 69 preferably by the link 69 on a stub shaft 70. The shaft 70vhas its arm 69 disposed directly in the path of the actuating pin 67 on the wheel 66. The shaft 70 is mounted in a suitable bearing which extends from one side of the casing 1. A, helical retra-ctile spring 71 has one of its ends fixed tb a suitable point and its opposite end is fixed to the arm 69 so that under tension of the spring the actuating element 61 will be normally held in a position wherethe head 56 will assume Aits lowermost position. The casing 1 is provided with a suitable coin chute 72 whose lower end is disposed immediately above the coin `cup 34. The upper end ofthe chute extends through the top of. the casing and is disposed in convenient reach of the operator of the machine.

Having specifically described the various elements 'of the machine, a brief operation thereof will be described as follows. It will of course be understood that the machine is designed as a-vending apparatus for merf chandise, preferably stamps of continuous tape-form, the machine being designed especially for the distribution or sale of stamps of any denomination. It will also obviously appear that in lieu of the fourpoint ratchet element 25, a two-point element may be substituted therefor for the purpose of increasing the number of stamps to be discharged at each purchase. The stamp .strip is of roll form and is operatively associated withthe reel 36 as particularly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The outer end of the strip is extended over the guide roller 44 and between the rolls 16 and 47 and then through the headvmembers 55 and 56. These members are preferably of allength coextensive with the stamp and after the strip has been associated'with the elements of the structure as just described, the outermost edge of the strip is Hush with the outer edge portions of the said heads 55 and 56 so that under tension of the spring 59 the head 56 will be held into elfective gripping engagement with the stamp strip to prevent the fraudulent removal of the stamps. The

machine as constructed herein is designed for the sale of one cent stamps. The pur Chaser drops his coin into the chute 72 where it will be conveyed to the coin cup 34. The weight of this coin will overbalance the lever 24 and will rock the same to cause it to assume the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. On rocking move-- ment of the lever as just described, it will be released from the pin 22 so as to allow for the required rocking movement of the controlling lever 29. The lever is moved toward the operator and the ratchet element constructed and proportioned to eject a single stamp on the deposit of one coin. On movement of the controlling lever `to the full extent of its actuating movement the pin 22 will engage the lever 24 forwardly of its fulcrum andthe lever will be depressed so as to cause the co-in to fall from the pocket 34 into the coin drawer 10. Through provision of the counterbalancing weight 33 the lever 24.will automatically assume its operative position on release of the coin as just described andthe lever when moved to its return position willcause the shaft, a sleeve loosely mounted on the shaft,

keeper pin 22 on the sector-like elements 19 and 20 to be again engaged with the lever.

This holds the shaft 15 against rotation un? til the deposit of the next coin. Through the connection 69 between the arms 68 and 69 it will be seen thatv immediately on rotation of the actuating wheel 66 to cause one of its` pins to engage the arm 69, motion will be transmitted to the stem 57 to move the head 56 thereof upwardly to its released position to allow for the'free passage of the stamp. The adjustable counterbalancing lweight 33 can lne-.adjusted by the operator. vshould itV be desired to place on sale two cent stamps. In this event it would only require moving the weight on the rocklever 24 to a position to require the combinedweight of two one y.cent coins tol raise the rock lever., f

1. In vending apparatus .for merchandise, a feeder for the. merchandise including a a member fixed to the sleeve, a member "loose on t-he shaft and disposed'opposite the first member, a ratchet wheel fixed to the shaft intermediate 'the said members, a

pawl carried 'by the said members and engaging the ratchet. wheel, ya rock lever, means on said members for tilting the lever, means for holding the members and the lever respectively against movement, a

.- gripper normally engaged with the merchandlse, and means actuatedby the feed roll ment, means for releasing said lockingv "means, a grlpper mechanism normally enshaft Vto release the gripper on movementof the feed roll shaft, to feed position.

' 2. In vendin apparatus for merchandise, a" feeder for tIief merchandise including a shaft, a pawl and 'ratchetl mechanism for koperating said shaft, means for -`locking said pawl and ratchet mechanism against movegagingthe merchandise and released from engagement therewith upon the operation of said feed shaft, said gripper mechanism comprising a fixed bracket arranged in advance of. the "feed shaft, a horizontally dlsposed :ide-*stationary jaw rigidly securedl said.

lbracket;superimposed bearlngs carried by said bracket, ay movable jaw slidably disposed in said bearings, a rock shaft carried by said bracket, a cam carried by said rock shaft and in engagement withsaid jaw, a pin wheel carried by said feed shaft, ya crank arm disposed in the path of movement of the pin wheel, and a connection between said crank arm andsaid rock shaft whereby in the operation of thefeed shaft the gripper mechanism is released from the merchandise.

3. In vending apparatus for merchandise, a feeder for the merchandise including a shaft, a pawl and ratchet mechanism for operating said shaft,means for locking said pawl and ratchet mechanism against movement, means for releasing said locking means," a gripper mechanism normally engaging the merchandise and released from engagement therewith-upon the operation of said feed shaft, said gripper mechanism Acomprising a fixed bracket arranged in advance of t-he feed shaft, a stationary jaw rigidly secured to said bracket, superimposed bearings carried by the bracket, a movable vjaw slidably disposed in said bearings,

a.- spring intermediate said movable jaw and one of said bearings normally holding said jaws in engagement with the merchandise, a roller carried by said movable jaw, a rock shaft carried by the bracket, an actuating velement secured to the rock shaft and engaging the roller, a crank armoperatively connected .with said rock shaft, a pin wheel mounted upon said feed shaft, a crank arm arranged inthe path ofv movement of the pin wheel, and a link connection between p both of said crank arms, said pin wheelbeing adapted to actuate the last named crank arm in the operation of the feed shaft where-` by the gripper mechanism is released from` the merchandise.

4. In vending apparatus for merchandise i. the combination with a casing, of a 'feeder for the merchandise including a shaft, means .for Aoperating the shaft, 4means for locking saidlirst named-'means against movement, v

means for releasing said locking means, a

merchandise-and released from engagement therewith on the operation'of thel feed. shaft, said :gripper mechanism comprlslng a grippervmechanism normally engaging the bracketixed to .the casing' and arranged lin n `advance ofthe feed shaft', a horizontally disposed stationary jaw. securedto the bracket, superimposed bearings carried byI lthe bracket, amovable jaw, a stem-for said movable jaw slidably disposed in sald bearings, a roller carried by saidistem, a rock! shaft .carried by said bracket, an actuatin element mounted vupon one end of sald roc' shaft'and engaging the roller, a, crank arm journaled uponthe opposite end lof the rock shaft," ax pin'wheel mounted uponone end' of the-said feed shaft, a crank arm jour- In testimony 4whereof I aiX my signanaled in said casing and disposed in the path ture in presence of two Witnesses. of movement of the pin Wheel, and a link JOHN FRANKLIN KINNEY.`

connect-ion between both of said crank arms Y whereby in the operation of the feed shaft, `Witnesses:

the gripper mechanism is released from en-V C. GRANT KINesoLvER, gagement with the merchandise. W. E. KINNEY. 

